More than 2,350 young Jewish athletes and artists gathered Aug. 4-9 at Orange County’s Merage Jewish Community Center in Irvine for the annual JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest. Held in a different city each year, the event is open to local, out-of-state and international students.

While the games offer athletes more than a dozen different sports in which to compete, ArtsFest caters to actors, singers, dancers and other artists of all skill levels. The program features workshops, performances and exhibits aimed at strengthening students’ connection to their Jewish heritage and community. About 140 artists took part in this year’s event.

Participants were offered eight disciplines to explore: musical theater, rock band, jazz band, vocal music, visual arts, acting/improv, dance and STAR Reporter, all of which were incorporated into the program’s final showcase, this year themed “Spirit.”

“For the first day of ArtsFest workshops, we had (everyone) get in a circle for what’s called ‘Rainstorm,’ ArtsFest Director Randy Lutterman said. “A few would begin to snap (their fingers), then some would rub their hands together and the rest would just make different sounds to create a storm. This was to show that on your own something may be too challenging, but a thousand drops of rain together can create a bigger force.”

Matana Zwiren, an incoming junior from Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School, focused on STAR Reporter. “We find interesting stories behind the athletes. We’ve learned how to edit pictures, interview people and write better articles,” Zwiren said. “Then we make daily reports out of these things for JCC to read.”

Participants in STAR Reporter and other ArtsFest’s non-performing disciplines, such as visual arts, submitted creative works for the final showcase. “Our STAR Reporters took pictures of the different visual artwork and put a slideshow together to present at the showcase,” Lutterman said.

On the last full day of activities, the athletes, parents, host families, program directors, event volunteers and fellow artists gathered at the Merage’s Linson Family Stage to view the final showcase.

Many of the ArtsFest disciplines were combined. For example, the jazz band played arrangements by Israeli composers while the dancers performed the pieces.

Participants in each discipline worked to include some piece of Jewish heritage in their final presentations.

“For STAR Reporter, we’d interview each person on how their faith supported their decision to come here,” Zwiren said. “There was one basketball player we interviewed who wears his kippah, even when he plays. We focused on how he is Jewish and how he embraces it.”

Ben Karp, incoming eighth-grader from Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School, said he found a larger sense of community by drumming for the program’s rock band. “I’ve loved meeting different artists from around the world and getting to play with them. I’ve learned a lot more about the Jewish community. I know that it’s here, but it’s also all over the world,” he said.

In years past, the Games and ArtsFest were held separately. They were combined in hopes of strengthening a sense of camaraderie among Jewish teens, no matter what their interests may be.

This year, participation in ArtsFest was up 43 percent. Organizers hope to continue this progress so that young singers, dancers, writers, artists and musicians can continue to grow through making art.